Liver Failure Symptoms in Parrots

Liver failure in parrots is often caused by liver disease, a slow, ongoing process where the liver is replaced by fats. Pay close attention to your parrot to watch for symptoms if you expect liver failure may be in her future. Otherwise, you might just miss the signs.

  1. Breathing Difficulties

    • Liver disease and liver failure usually cause breathing difficulties. As the liver turns to fat, it fills the abdominal cavity, putting pressure on the lungs.

    Distended Abdomen

    • As the liver fails and gets bigger, the abdomen often appears distended. Sometimes, the liver may even be visible through the skin below the keel, an extension of the breastbone.

    Diarrhea

    • A parrot with liver failure may develop diarrhea. Droppings from birds with liver failure often have a particularly green hue due to the amount of biliverdin present.

    Poor Feather Quality

    • Liver failure affects the quality of a parrot's feathers. Feathers on a sick bird are often brittle and poor.

    Soft Beak

    • In some cases, soft areas around the top of the beak may occur. In others, parrots will have overgrown beaks and claws. Claws often have a noted yellowish color.

    Disorientiation and Seizures

    • Near the end, liver failure can cause central nervous system difficulty, resulting in disorientation and seizures.

    Blood Clotting Problems

    • Another final symptom occurs when blood clotting fails. A simple broken feather may result in a life-threatening bleed.